In Memoriam
by engineerwenlock
Summary: Yes, rebellions are built on hope, but they're also built on sacrifice. After the Battle of Yavin, Wedge and Luke take time to honor those who gave their lives for the Rebellion. Set after ANH, informed by the events of Rogue One.


**Author's note: slight rewrite here. I should have waited to post this until I got it right. Curse my limited writing time and overeagerness to post.**

Luke Skywalker slouched dejectedly at the table in the corner, staring blankly at his glass of Corellian whiskey. Han had passed it to him half an hour ago, before disappearing into the jubilant crowd. Luke had tasted a bit, wincing as he swallowed, then set the tumbler down again. He hadn't moved it since.

He was in a hangar bay in the Rebellion Base on Yavin Four. It had been cleared out (not a difficult feat, considering the number of fighters lost in the battle) for the purpose of housing an impromptu victory celebration.

Someone claimed the chair next to him. It was Red Two - Wedge. "Not enjoying the party?" he asked, shouting to be heard over the music.

"How can they-" Luke lifted his hand from the table, gesturing at the revelry "-it's like dancing at a funeral."

"Sometimes people -" Wedge trailed off, lost in his own thoughts, then gesturing for Luke to follow him, walked over to a nearby supply locker. Wedge grabbed a couple lanterns, shoved newly charged power packs in them and handed them both to Luke. "Here, hold these for a sec," he loudly requested. Wedge opened another cabinet and grabbed a tool and its power pack. Luke guessed it was a handheld laser saw. Wedge relieved Luke of one of the lanterns and gestured again for Luke to follow him.

He led him through the dimly lit corridors of the base. As soon as they were far enough from the victory party to be heard without shouting, Luke remarked, "If this is a prank, I don't want any part of it."

"So you join an armed insurrection against the government and destroy their largest military asset, but you're above a little harmless fun?"

"That's not it, I - I'm just -"

"Don't worry, it's not a prank. I've got something to show you. We're almost there."

The continued in silence down a long hallway, then they turned a corner and Wedge flicked on the lights.

Before his eyes adjusted to the light, all Luke saw was a corridor identical to the others on the base. Then he saw the words etched into the wall. There appeared to be no particular order, and a variety of sizes and handwriting. Most were written in Arubesh, but a few were in other alphabets. Some had been there awhile - the letters faded to match the dirty grey-brown of the surrounding stone. His eyes were drawn to the fresh inscriptions, red-brown in color. The two largest words had obviously not been written by the same individual, but both were new. In neat, blocky lettering was ' _Jedha_.' Half a meter to the left, and down a bit read ' _Alderaan_.' It was written in a formal, elegant script.

"What's this?" he asked Wedge.

"It's the people we've lost to the Empire. Both the innocent victims and the heroes."

Luke turned his attention to the new names on the wall.

He recognized some of the pilots from Gold Squadron. They were grouped together, written by the same person. There were other groups of names too. He guessed they were other fighter squadrons, units of ground troops, or the crews of larger ships lost in action.

Wedge pointed to a group of about thirty names. "That's the crew of Rogue One. A lot of people helped us get the Death Star plans, but they - well without them, this base'd be in a trillion pieces right now. And it's funny, we nearly didn't know some of their names."

Luke read the list solemnly.

 _Cassian Andor_

 _Jyn Erso_

 _Bodhi Rook_

 _Baze Melbus_

 _Chirrut Imwe_

 _K-2SO_

The list continued on for another two dozen or so names, but Luke paused his reading to contemplate the inclusion of a droid on the list. It felt strange until he realized that, if anything happened to Artoo or Threepio, they'd want a place here as well.

 _Click-click-click-click-click_ broke the silence as Wedge powered up the tool he had brought. Luke watched as Wedge positioned the tool below a lone name, Pedrin Gaul. Luke recalled that Gaul had been Red Five before him.

Wedge carved the names in a neat column, one name per line. After the second one, Luke knew what Wedge was doing.

 _Garven Dreis_

 _Biggs Darklighter_

 _John D. Branon_

 _Jek Tono Porkins_

 _Nozzo Naytaan_

 _Theron Nett_

Wedge set the tool down and stepped back. Both men - the only surviving members of Red Squadron - reverently stared at the new additions to the wall. Luke's thoughts drifted to the Darklighters and how -if- they would hear the news about Biggs.

Finally, Wedge nudged Luke and handed him the tool, inclining his head toward the wall. "Do - do you have anyone you need to add?"

Slowly, Luke stepped forward nervously and inscribed:

 _Owen Lars & Beru Whitesun Lars_

Then, down and to the right a dozen or so centimeters:

 _Obi-Wan Kenobi_

Wedge gave Like a few moments to reflect, then, placing a hand on his shoulder, told him, "Now turn around."

On the opposite wall was the Declaration of Rebellion. Luke had read it before, of course, but he spent most of his daydreams on daring maneuvers and heroic attack runs: the adrenaline rush of flying. But standing here now, the words resonated to his very soul. He read the last few lines a second time.

 _To bring about your destruction and the destruction of the Galactic Empire;_

 _To make forever free all beings in the galaxy._

 _To these ends, we pledge our property, our honor, and our lives._

Clasping Luke's shoulder, Wedge turned to him and said horsely, "Welcome to the Rebellion."


End file.
